9632626 Douglas The principal goals of this project is to remove barriers that inhibit research competitiveness in Bridge Engineering so that the University of Nevada, Reno may fully develop as a national research center. The project will conduct unique research in the area of seismic simulation studies on its shaking table facility which will become operational in fall 1996. When the facility opens, the university will have two 14-ft by 14-ft shaking tables with 50 tons of capacity each and the largest payload capacity in the United States. Non-federal support of the Bridge Engineering initiative from the user community has been obtained in the form of letters of commitment for matching support in the aggregate amount of $750,000 per year from NDOT and CALTRANS. The project's overall goal is to further expand this into a consortium of Western States interested in supporting seismic research.
